used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
afootadverbUS /əˈfʊt/
on foot; walking
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
(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 The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
Audley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
Bosham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
busybodynoun
a person who meddles in the affairs of others
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
ButterfliesnounUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/
plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
cursedadjectiveUS /kɜːrst/
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
graspedverbUS /ɡræspt/
past form of “grasp” — hold firmly
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
a feeling of righteous anger
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
interventionnounUS /ˌɪntərˈvenʃən/
the act of intervening (as to mediate a dispute, etc.)
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
the act of departing
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
a particular point in time
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
plumpadjectiveUS /plʌmp/
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
riddleverbUS /ˈrɪdəl/
pierce with many holes
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
not in physical motion
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
tatteredadjectiveUS /ˈtætərd/
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
tensenounUS /tens/
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
a shaky motion
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading Mary had passed through twenty minutes of tense excitement.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Leaving Ben Bosham on the threshold she lost not a moment, but with her story on her lips, hurried up the stairs, and on the landing came plump upon Lord Audley.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
at the time that
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
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 From the window he had seen something of what was afoot below.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The risk had been slight, after the first moment of intervention, but she had not known this, and she was still trembling with indignation, a creature all fire and passion, when the door of The Butterflies opened to admit her.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading He had recognized Mary and the tattered Bosham, and he had read the riddle, grasped the facts, and cursed the busybody, all within thirty seconds.
