used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
blossomedverbUS /ˈblɑːsəmd/
past form of “blossom” — produce or yield flowers
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
chimneynounUS /ˈtʃɪmni/
a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
Don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
Jake'snounUS /dʒeɪks/
possessive form of “jakes” — a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
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 The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
oil-lamp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
scratchedverbUS /skrætʃt/
past form of “scratch” — cause friction
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
shoenounUS /ʃuː/
footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
solenounUS /soʊl/
the underside of footwear or a golf club
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading The man called Frank replaced the glass chimney of the lamp, and stepped back to his post by the door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
very small
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading “Don’t move!” warned the Voice from the dark.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
wicknounUS /wɪk/
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The man at Jake’s back felt his way a few yards to the left.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading The sound of a match scratched on the sole of a shoe came to Jake’s ear; a tiny yellow flame blossomed, was held to the wick of an oil-lamp.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You can light up the lamp now, Frank.”
