adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
AnotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
beastsnounUS /biːsts/
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
blurringverbUS /ˈblɜːrɪŋ/
inflected form of “blur” — become glassy; lose clear vision
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
bringverbUS /brɪŋ/
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The sergeant had ordered Rosette to bring in a lamp.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
carnivorousadjectiveUS /kɑːrˈnɪvərəs/
relating to or characteristic of carnivores
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
catchverbUS /kætʃ/
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
clocknounUS /klɑːk/
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
cornersnounUS /ˈkɔːrnərz/
plural of “corner” — a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
creepingnounUS /ˈkriːpɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
deathlyadjectiveUS /ˈdeθli/
having the physical appearance of death
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
fellow-being
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
furniturenounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Petite maman and Rosette had hardly moved.
hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Petite maman and Rosette had hardly moved.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
IIInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
lampnounUS /læmp/
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading The sergeant had ordered Rosette to bring in a lamp.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
lurkingverbUS /ˈlɜːrkɪŋ/
-ing form of “lurk” — lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
maman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Petite maman and Rosette had hardly moved.
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
orderedadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrdərd/
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading The sergeant had ordered Rosette to bring in a lamp.
outlinesnounUS /ˈaʊtlaɪnz/
plural of “outline” — the line that appears to bound an object
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
petiteadjectiveUS /pəˈtiːt/
very small
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/
one of four equal parts
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
RosettenounUS /rəˈset/
an ornament or pattern resembling a rose that is worn as a badge of office or as recognition of having won an honor
From this reading Petite maman and Rosette had hardly moved.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
sergeantnounUS /ˈsɑːrdʒənt/
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading The sergeant had ordered Rosette to bring in a lamp.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
shelfnounUS /ʃelf/
A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
snarenounUS /sner/
something (often something deceptively attractive) that catches you unawares
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
tickedverbUS /tɪkt/
past form of “tick” — make a clicking or ticking sound
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
trapsnounUS /træps/
plural of “trap” — a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading III Another quarter of an hour went by.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The old clock upon the shelf ticked away these seconds and minutes while petite maman thought and thought, while men set traps to catch a fellow-being in a deathly snare, and human carnivorous beasts lay lurking for their prey.
wrappingnounUS /ˈræpɪŋ/
the covering (usually paper or cellophane) in which something is wrapped
From this reading The shadows of evening were creeping into the narrow room, blurring the outlines of the pieces of furniture and wrapping all the corners in gloom.
