advanceverbUS /ədˈvæns/
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/
in addition
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
audiblyadverbUS /ˈɑːdəbli/
in an audible manner
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
beclouded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
brainnounUS /breɪn/
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
breathnounUS /breθ/
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
darknounUS /dɑːrk/
absence of light or illumination
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
doornounUS /dɔːr/
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
doubtnounUS /daʊt/
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
drewnounUS /druː/
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
eyesnounUS /aɪz/
opinion or judgment
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
fallverbUS /fɔːl/
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
flickerverbUS /ˈflɪkər/
move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading When she was quite gone, Mr. Steele spoke:
graduallyadverbUS /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/
in a gradual manner
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
heldadjectiveUS /held/
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
hoververbUS /ˈhʌvər/
be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
intelligencenounUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒəns/
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
metverbUS /met/
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/
a form of address for a man
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/
the one or ones belonging to us
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
pantedverbUS /ˈpæntɪd/
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
purposenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəs/
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading When she was quite gone, Mr. Steele spoke:
recedingnounUS /rɪˈsiːdɪŋ/
a slow or gradual disappearance
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
shutverbUS /ʃʌt/
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
spokenounUS /spoʊk/
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading When she was quite gone, Mr. Steele spoke:
SteelenounUS /stiːl/
English writer (1672-1729)
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
tellverbUS /tel/
express in words
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was plain that she did not see us; also plain that she was held back in her advance by some doubt in her beclouded brain.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When she was quite gone, Mr. Steele spoke:
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Then gradually she drew back and disappeared behind the door, which she forgot to shut, as we could tell from the gradually receding light and the faint fall of her footsteps after the last dim flicker had faded away.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading We could see her hover, as it were, at her end of the dark passage, while I held my breath and Mr. Steele panted audibly.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The old lady’s eyes met ours without purpose or intelligence.
