used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
in a state of sleep
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
bureaunounUS /ˈbjʊroʊ/
an administrative unit of government
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
butlernounUS /ˈbʌtlər/
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
a timepiece that shows the time of day
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
doorbellnounUS /ˈdɔːrbel/
a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
fumbledverbUS /ˈfʌmbəld/
past form of “fumble” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
Greenacres
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
groggily
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
grumblingly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
insistentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstəntli/
in an insistent manner
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
janglingadjective
like the discordant ringing of nonmusical metallic objects striking together
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
staying power
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
night'snounUS /naɪts/
possessive form of “night” — the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
held or filled or in use
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
recurring again and again
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading "Fine time of night for people to go around ringing bells at respectable houses!"
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
sheetsnounUS /ʃiːts/
plural of “sheet” — any broad thin expanse or surface
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
express in words
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE OPEN DOOR The butler at Greenacres occupied a small room on the ground floor near the kitchen.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading "There ought to be a law against it," he declared, as he slid his thin old legs out from beneath the sheets, and, not more than partly awake, fumbled groggily for the light.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The clock on the bureau told him that it was half an hour past midnight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
at the time that
From this reading He had been asleep for some time when the ringing of the doorbell sounded, a loud jangling in the night's stillness; he stirred, muttered grumblingly, and was about to tell himself that it must be a mistake, when the ring was insistently repeated.
