used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
in addition
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
benchesnounUS /ˈbentʃɪz/
plural of “bench” — a long seat for more than one person
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
canenounUS /keɪn/
a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
correctingverbUS /kərˈektɪŋ/
-ing form of “correct” — make right or correct
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
crouchedverbUS /kraʊtʃt/
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
desksnounUS /desks/
plural of “desk” — a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
bring shame or dishonor upon
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
elbownounUS /ˈelboʊ/
hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
a person who is older than you are
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
elementnounUS /ˈeləmənt/
an abstract part of something
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
exasperationnounUS /ˌeksæspərˈeɪʃən/
an exasperated feeling of annoyance
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
exercise-books
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
gloweredverbUS /ˈɡlaʊərd/
past form of “glower” — look at with a fixed gaze
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
leadedadjectiveUS /ˈledɪd/
(of panes of glass) fixed in place by means of thin strips of lead
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
litternounUS /ˈlɪtər/
the offspring at one birth of a multiparous mammal
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
RobinnounUS /ˈrɑːbən/
small Old World songbird with a reddish breast
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
schoolroomnounUS /ˈskuːlruːm/
a room in a school where lessons take place
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
sinisteradjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪstər/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
slantedadjectiveUS /ˈslæntɪd/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
speciesnounUS /ˈspiːʃiz/
(biology) taxonomic group whose members can interbreed
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
sulkyadjective
sullen or moody
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
the rays of the sun
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading There was a long, thin cane also at his elbow that had the look of a somewhat sinister wand of office.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
untidyadjectiveUS /ənˈtaɪdi/
not neat and tidy
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
WANDnounUS /wɑːnd/
a rod used by a magician or water diviner
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE WAND OF OFFICE Robin was in disgrace.
which person or people
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The evening sunlight slanted through the leaded windows.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He was correcting book after book with a species of forced patience, that was not without an element of exasperation.
writing-table
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He crouched in a sulky heap in a far corner of the schoolroom, and glowered across the empty desks and benches at his elder brother who sat in the place of authority at his writing-table with a litter of untidy exercise-books in front of him.
