used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
biscuitnounUS /ˈbɪskət/
small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
brightenedverbUS /ˈbraɪtənd/
past form of “brighten” — make more cheerful through the use of color
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
crampedadjectiveUS /kræmpt/
constricted in size
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
footstepnounUS /ˈfʊtstep/
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
Inglethorne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
Leslie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
Maughan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
meditated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
munchedverbUS /mʌntʃt/
past form of “munch” — chew noisily
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
pavedadjectiveUS /peɪvd/
covered with a firm surface
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
rubbedverbUS /rʌbd/
inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
Identical; not different.
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
sidewalknounUS /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/
walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
in or at that place or location
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They paused before the door of the house; there was a rattle of the key.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
unresistingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
unsteadyadjectiveUS /ənˈstedi/
subject to change or variation
From this reading Then through the open window he heard unsteady steps coming along the paved sidewalk.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
under normal conditions
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
at the time that
From this reading It was twelve o’clock when he put down his pen and rubbed his cramped hands.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Throwing up the window to let out the smoke, he munched a biscuit and meditated; and then his face brightened, and his thoughts went unresistingly toward Leslie Maughan.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When Mrs. Inglethorne went out at night, she usually returned with that same unsteady footstep.
