used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
having companions or an escort
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
for the reason that
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
boomingadjectiveUS /ˈbuːmɪŋ/
very lively and profitable
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
buzzingadjectiveUS /ˈbʌzɪŋ/
noisy like the sound of a bee
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
chinanounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/
a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
clangnounUS /klæŋ/
a loud resonant repeating noise
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
confirmverbUS /kənˈfɜːrm/
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
crashingadjectiveUS /ˈkræʃɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
the act of discovering something
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
a man of refinement
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
gentleman'snounUS /ˈdʒentəlmʌnz/
possessive form of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
harshadjectiveUS /hɑːrʃ/
unpleasantly stern
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
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 He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
mantelpiecenoun
shelf that projects from wall above fireplace
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a form of address for a man
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
on one occasion
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
and nothing more
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
passagesnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/
plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
Perrin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
restoredverbUS /rɪˈstɔːrd/
past form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
roaringnounUS /ˈrɔːrɪŋ/
a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading The cold light of early morning and, an hour later, the harsh clang of the bell down the stone passages, restored the china gentleman once more to the mantelpiece; but the discovery that there had been a storm in the night only seemed to confirm the gentleman's appearance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
in or at that place or location
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
tip-tap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
trailedverbUS /treɪld/
past form of “trail” — to lag or linger behind
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
transitnounUS /ˈtrænzɪt/
a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles, consisting of a small telescope mounted on a tripod
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
urgingnounUS /ˈɜːrdʒɪŋ/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
waspnounUS /wɑːsp/
a white person of Anglo-Saxon ancestry who belongs to a Protestant denomination
From this reading He had grown in his transit and was large in the leg and trailed behind him a long black gown, and he troubled Mr. Perrin by buzzing like a wasp.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading He came tip-tap across the floor to him and bent over the bed and whispered in his ear.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
in the company of; together with
From this reading TO Perrin, in his sleep that night there came, accompanied with roaring wind and crashing sea, a dream of the little man in red and black china that lived on the mantelpiece.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He was urging Perrin to do something, but it was hard to distinguish the words because of the booming of the sea.
