used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After that, he made a thorough search of the room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Just as I thought.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
barrelnounUS /ˈbærəl/
a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
crumpledadjectiveUS /ˈkrʌmpəld/
of metal e.g.
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/
on a floor below
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
destroyed or killed
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Just as I thought.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
jumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
and nothing more
From this reading "Just as I thought.
keyholenounUS /ˈkiːhoʊl/
the hole where a key is inserted
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
pistolnounUS /ˈpɪstəl/
a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading After that, he made a thorough search of the room.
cut with a saw
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading After that, he made a thorough search of the room.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
secretary'snounUS /ˈsekrəteriz/
possessive form of “secretary” — a person who is head of an administrative department of government
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
Shorthouse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
stuffingnounUS /ˈstʌfɪŋ/
a mixture of seasoned ingredients used to stuff meats and vegetables
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After that, he made a thorough search of the room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
thoroughadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːroʊ/
painstakingly careful and accurate
From this reading After that, he made a thorough search of the room.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "Just as I thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But he didn't expect to look down the barrel of a pistol and it made him jump a little."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "On his knees at the keyhole," was the secretary's reflection.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As soon as the steps had gone downstairs and died away across the hall, Shorthouse went over and locked the door, stuffing a piece of crumpled paper into the second keyhole which he saw immediately above the first.
