adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
Babbie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
chambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
createdverbUS /kriˈeɪtəd/
past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
Gavin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
GhostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/
with strained or eager attention
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
latchverbUS /lætʃ/
fasten with a latch
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/
hear with intention
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
LOVERSnounUS /ˈlʌvərz/
plural of “lover” — a person who loves someone or is loved by someone
From this reading LOVERS.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
mansenoun
a large and imposing house
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
Margaret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now Margaret slept.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/
not in physical motion
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
NowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now Margaret slept.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
pressesnounUS /ˈpresəz/
plural of “press” — the state of demanding notice or attention
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/
plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
sleptverbUS /slept/
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading Now Margaret slept.
snib
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
stairnounUS /ster/
support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
standverbUS /stænd/
be standing; be upright
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
unearthlyadjectiveUS /əˈnɜːrθli/
concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
whisperingnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/
a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/
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 A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises.
wokeverbUS /woʊk/
inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Ghosts were created when the first man woke in the night.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Only something terrible, Gavin thought, could have brought Babbie to him at such an hour; yet when he left his mother's room it was to stand motionless on the stair, waiting for a silence in the manse that would not come.
