used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
the state of being absent
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
with anger
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
blinkingadjectiveUS /ˈblɪŋkɪŋ/
closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
crackleverbUS /ˈkrækəl/
make a crackling sound
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
crevicesnounUS /ˈkrevəsɪz/
plural of “crevice” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
dartedverbUS /ˈdɑːrtɪd/
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
DexteradjectiveUS /ˈdekstər/
on or starting from the wearer's right
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
opinion or judgment
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
gustnounUS /ɡʌst/
a strong current of air
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
hissverbUS /hɪs/
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
lappedverbUS /læpt/
inflected form of “lap” — lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
lashedverbUS /læʃt/
past form of “lash” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
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 He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
logsnounUS /lɔːɡz/
plural of “log” — a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
mountingnounUS /ˈmaʊntɪŋ/
an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
pitchyadjective
of the blackest black; similar to the color of jet or coal
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
cut with a saw
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
sparksnounUS /spɑːrks/
plural of “spark” — a momentary flash of light
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
TonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/
plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
someone who visits
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As he peered through the pitchy black smoke, a gust of flame lashed out at the corner of the cabin, and he saw that the door was open.
wedging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
at the time that
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He remembered closing and wedging the door fast when he left the place a while before.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Tongues of fire lapped around the windows and darted angrily from the crevices between the logs.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE DOORWAY OF DREAD With the hot glare beating back in his face, Dexter stood with blinking eyes, hearing the hiss of falling sparks and the fierce crackle of the mounting flames.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would seem that a visitor had been there some time during his absence.
