used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/
aroused or activated
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
burglarnounUS /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/
A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
the protruding part of the lower jaw
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
increase twofold
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
willing to give and share unstintingly
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
growthnounUS /ɡroʊθ/
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
KendallnounUS /ˈkendəl/
United States biochemist who discovered cortisone (1886-1972)
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
laughableadjectiveUS /ˈlæfəbəl/
so unreasonable as to invite derision
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
in motion
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
scantilyadverbUS /ˈskæntəli/
in a skimpy manner
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
a particular situation
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
shufflingnounUS /ˈʃʌflɪŋ/
walking with a slow dragging motion without lifting your feet
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
sixtyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪksti/
being ten more than fifty
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
up-tilt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her face was broad, her nose was broad and had a peculiar and laughable up-tilt, her mouth was broad, and her eyes were very large and kindly.
precisely as stated
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Kendall was awakened next morning by the sound of some one shuffling about his room.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
whiskersnounUS /ˈwɪskərz/
the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face
From this reading She had one generous double chin and a quite respectable growth of whiskers.
a Caucasian
From this reading The woman was short and very fat, with a large head scantily covered by that colored hair which does not turn white at sixty.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading It was a woman, and she was moving toward the door with his shoes in her hand, and for an instant he wondered if he were in the presence of some new sort of burglar.
