used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
(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 Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
another's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
clocksnounUS /klɑːks/
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
HansnounUS /hɑːns/
plural of “han” — imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time from 206 BC to AD 220) and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; remembered as one of the great eras of Chinese civilization
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
hear with intention
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
nearbyadjectiveUS /ˈnɪrˈbaɪ/
close at hand
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
NicholasnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/
a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
pillownounUS /ˈpɪloʊ/
a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
one of four equal parts
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
rumblingnounUS /ˈrʌmbəlɪŋ/
a loud low dull continuous noise
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
sonorousadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːnərəs/
full and loud and deep
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
strokesnounUS /stroʊks/
plural of “stroke” — (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The tones came from nearby and from far away;--first came the dull bell from quite close by, then the light, clear tone that rang in the distance and sounded much like the bell in a railway station.
a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
twelve-fold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
Unwirrsch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He heard voices of all kinds as he lay awake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading This fine, distant little voice was followed by the sonorous rumbling of the clock on St. Nicholas' tower; and so it went on and on, one clock and bell following close on another's heels.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Almost all night long Hans Unwirrsch had to listen to all the tower clocks the strokes of which reached his pillow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The big city sounded every passing quarter of an hour in his ear with a twelve-fold stroke.
