used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
alleywaynounUS /ˈæliweɪ/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
bearingsnounUS /ˈberɪŋz/
plural of “bearing” — relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
clankverbUS /klæŋk/
make a clank
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
without deviation
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
docknounUS /dɑːk/
an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
drownedverbUS /draʊnd/
past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
echoedverbUS /ˈekoʊd/
past form of “echo” — to say again or imitate
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
enginesnounUS /ˈendʒənz/
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
footfalls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
Frisco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
a young female
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
gratedverbUS /ˈɡreɪtɪd/
past form of “grate” — furnish with a grate
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
measuredadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/
having notes of fixed rhythmic value
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
ratnounUS /ræt/
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
recurring again and again
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
SlimadjectiveUS /slɪm/
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
staterooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
Stirling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
push forcefully
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Stirling reached toward the thrust bearings, measured the distance, and thought deeply.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sound was repeated, then footfalls grated on the deck planks.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was directly beneath the alleyway which extended from the staterooms to the after companion—the girl and Slim, the Frisco dock rat, were above him.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading The clank of the engines and the whirling shaft drowned out further steps in the cabin.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A faint sound from above echoed throughout the alleyway, and Stirling turned his head, listening with every sense alert.
