used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
barestadjectiveUS /ˈberəst/
superlative of “bare” — completely unclothed
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
casuallyadverbUS /ˈkæʒəwəli/
not methodically or according to plan
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
commentnounUS /ˈkɑːment/
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
formerlyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrmərli/
at a previous time
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
haynounUS /heɪ/
grass mowed and cured for use as fodder
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
and nothing more
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
loftnounUS /lɔːft/
floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
past form of “mingle” — to bring or combine together or with something else
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
a particular point in time
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
MorguenounUS /mɔːrɡ/
a building (or room) where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
used to form the superlative
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
O'Leary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
perceptibleadjectiveUS /pərˈseptəbəl/
capable of being perceived by the mind or senses
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
radiumnounUS /ˈreɪdiəm/
an intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
rustleverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/
make a dry crackling sound
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading In the little silence I heard a sort of rustle and I looked about me in some alarm.
express in words
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading My mouth open I waited for him to tell me more.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He made the barest perceptible gesture against comment, and just at the moment Morgue dropped casually down from an opening above what was formerly a hay loft.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading O’Leary heard the rustle, too, but his face wore the most peculiar expression of mingled satisfaction and anxiety.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The Red Light Above the Door “_You have the radium!_” He nodded.
