used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading “A truly ancient castle,” grumbled the professor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
barredadjectiveUS /bɑːrd/
preventing entry or exit or a course of action
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
cellnounUS /sel/
A small stone room in a prison where an inmate is locked behind iron bars.
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
grumbledverbUS /ˈɡrʌmbəld/
past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude
From this reading “A truly ancient castle,” grumbled the professor.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
inkyadjectiveUS /ˈɪŋki/
of the color of black ink
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
immediately past
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
the force of workers available
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “A truly ancient castle,” grumbled the professor.
professor'snounUS /prəˈfesərz/
possessive form of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
ruinsnounUS /ˈruːənz/
plural of “ruin” — an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
slamverbUS /slæm/
close violently
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
totallyadverbUS /ˈtoʊtəli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “A truly ancient castle,” grumbled the professor.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Then there was complete silence and the teacher turned away from the barred door.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Far above him he could hear the slam of another door and the faint footsteps of the two men.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
belonging to which person
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The light was gone at last and with it the professor’s hope.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading He was totally alone in the inky darkness, a prisoner in a cell whose size he was not certain of, down under the ruins of a castle in the woods.
