used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I felt perfectly refreshed and well.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
in a state of sleep
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
brightlyadverbUS /ˈbraɪtli/
with brightness
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
clothing in general
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
dialnounUS /ˈdaɪəl/
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
being one more than seven
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading I felt perfectly refreshed and well.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
gropedverbUS /ɡroʊpt/
past form of “grope” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
illuminatedadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈluːməneɪtəd/
provided with artificial light
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
and nothing more
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading I felt perfectly refreshed and well.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading I opened the door of my room a little way, and was pleased to find a bundle of clothes awaiting me outside.
refreshedadjectiveUS /riˈfreʃt/
with restored energy
From this reading I felt perfectly refreshed and well.
unusual or striking
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
uninhabitedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪnˈhæbətɪd/
not having inhabitants; not lived in
From this reading The silence of the place was remarkable; it was almost as if I had been in an uninhabited house.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I had shut off nearly all the light before falling asleep, and I now groped my way to the light dial and moved the hand round until the room was brightly illuminated.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading I felt perfectly refreshed and well.
at the time that
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
but in spite of that
From this reading When I awoke, it seemed to me that I must have slept for some six or eight hours, yet it had been but one hour only.
