adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
acuteadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːt/
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
appallingnounUS /əˈpɔːlɪŋ/
an experience that appalls
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/
aroused or activated
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
bodkin-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
callousadjectiveUS /ˈkæləs/
emotionally hardened
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
candlenounUS /ˈkændəl/
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/
hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
daggernounUS /ˈdæɡ.ər/
A short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a stealth weapon.
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
deadlyadjectiveUS /ˈdedli/
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
developingadjectiveUS /dɪˈveləpɪŋ/
relating to societies in which capital needed to industrialize is in short supply
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
Dominey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/
an opposing military force
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
fanciedadjectiveUS /ˈfænsid/
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
fearverbUS /fɪr/
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
flashedverbUS /flæʃt/
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
forbidsverbUS /fərˈbɪdz/
third-person singular of “forbid” — command against
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
four-posternoun
a bed with posts at the four corners that can be used to support a canopy or curtains
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
gazedverbUS /ɡeɪzd/
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
hangingsnounUS /ˈhæŋɡɪŋz/
plural of “hanging” — decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
horrornounUS /ˈhɔːrər/
intense and profound fear
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
linenounUS /laɪn/
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
litadjectiveUS /lɪt/
provided with artificial light
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
liveverbUS /laɪv/
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
momentsnounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
of an obscure nature
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
painfuladjectiveUS /ˈpeɪnfəl/
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
paralysed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
prickingnoun
the act of puncturing with a small point
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
recentlyadverbUS /ˈriːsəntli/
in the recent past
From this reading The dim light of a candle, recently lit, flashed upon the bodkin-like dagger held at his throat.
rolledadjectiveUS /roʊld/
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
rushverbUS /rʌʃ/
move hurridly
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
rustlingnounUS /ˈrʌslɪŋ/
the stealing of cattle
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
steelnounUS /stiːl/
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading He opened his eyes, and although a brave and callous man he lay still, paralysed with the fear which forbids motion.
tangledadjectiveUS /ˈtæŋɡəld/
in a confused mass
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading He gazed at the thin line of gleaming steel, fascinated.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
throatnounUS /θroʊt/
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
unrealitynounUS /ˌʌnriˈæləti/
the quality possessed by something that is unreal
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then a rush of awakened memories--the silence of the great house, the mysterious rustling of the heavy hangings around the black oak four-poster on which he lay, the faint pricking of something deadly at his throat--these things rolled back the curtain of unreality, brought him acute and painful consciousness of a situation almost appalling.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading For the first few tangled moments of nightmare, slowly developing into a live horror, Dominey fancied himself back in Africa, with the hand of an enemy upon his throat.
