adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His was not an open nature at the best.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
bestnounUS /best/
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading His was not an open nature at the best.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
castverbUS /kæst/
put or send forth
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
curvenounUS /kɜːrv/
the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
footnounUS /fʊt/
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
handnounUS /hænd/
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/
an instinctive motive
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
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 He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/
a room where books are kept
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading His was not an open nature at the best.
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/
immediately following in time or order
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
NixonnounUS /ˈnɪksən/
vice president under Eisenhower and 37th President of the United States; resigned after the Watergate scandal in 1974 (1913-1994)
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading His was not an open nature at the best.
Packard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
stair-rail
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
stairsnounUS /sterz/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
stepnounUS /step/
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Some impulse made me step into the hall and cast a glance at his ascending figure.
stoppingnounUS /ˈstɑːpɪŋ/
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading I was alone in the library when Nixon returned.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I could see only his back, but there was something which I did not like in the curve of that back and the slide of his hand as it moved along the stair-rail.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He must have seen Mrs. Packard go up before he left, for he passed by without stopping, and the next moment I heard his foot on the stairs.
