aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
aimlesslyadverbUS /ˈeɪmləsli/
without aim; in an aimless manner
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
(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 corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
babblingnounUS /ˈbæbəlɪŋ/
gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
banisters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
chokedadjectiveUS /tʃoʊkt/
stopped up; clogged up
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
corridornounUS /ˈkɔːrədər/
an enclosed passageway; rooms usually open onto it
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
elbowsnounUS /ˈelboʊz/
plural of “elbow” — hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
erasedverbUS /ɪˈreɪst/
past form of “erase” — remove from memory or existence
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
flusteredadjectiveUS /ˈflʌstərd/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
set up or found
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
habitualadjectiveUS /həˈbɪtʃuːəl/
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
Half-way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
jamverbUS /dʒæm/
press tightly together or cram
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
LanyardnounUS /ˈlænjərd/
a cord with an attached hook that is used to fire certain types of cannon
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
leerverb
look suggestively or obliquely; look or gaze with a sly, immodest, or malign expression
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
most important element
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
McFee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of Mrs. McFee one saw nothing.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
millingnounUS /ˈmɪlɪŋ/
corrugated edge of a coin
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Of Mrs. McFee one saw nothing.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
no person; not anyone
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Of Mrs. McFee one saw nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
PagannounUS /ˈpeɪɡən/
a person who does not acknowledge your god
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
plyingverbUS /ˈplaɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “ply” — give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
From this reading Pagan passed him, plying busy elbows, his habitual leer erased.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
continue talking
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
questioningadjectiveUS /ˈkwestʃənɪŋ/
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
routedverbUS /ˈruːtɪd/
past form of “route” — send documents or materials to appropriate destinations
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
cut with a saw
From this reading Of Mrs. McFee one saw nothing.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/
plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
vacantadjectiveUS /ˈveɪkənt/
void of intelligence or thought
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
waitersnounUS /ˈweɪtərz/
plural of “waiter” — a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Nobody offered to stay Lanyard, on the other hand nobody offered to get out of his way.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Half-way to the head of the staircase Lanyard found the jam on the narrow landing too dense to be penetrated other than by main strength and ill will; and, crowded against the banisters, waited for some general movement that might permit him to proceed.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The corridor was choked with people, flustered waiters mixed in with guests whom the alarm had routed out of the other private rooms, all aimlessly milling about and questioning one another with vacant eyes and babbling tongues.
