used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
(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 *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
appliedadjectiveUS /əˈplaɪd/
concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
apprehensionnounUS /ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/
fearful expectation or anticipation
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the door was as uncommunicative as a gravestone.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
attenuatedadjectiveUS /əˈtenjuːeɪtɪd/
of an electrical signal; reduced in amplitude with little or no distortion
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
breathsnounUS /breθs/
plural of “breath” — the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
concernsnounUS /kənˈsɜːrnz/
plural of “concern” — something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
elicitverbUS /ɪˈlɪsɪt/
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
eludedverbUS /ɪˈluːdɪd/
past form of “elude” — escape, either physically or mentally
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
employmentnounUS /emˈplɔɪmənt/
the state of being employed or having a job
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
entombmentnounUS /ɪnˈtuːmmənt/
the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
divisible by two
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
the organ of sight
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
filterings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
a young female
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
gravestonenounUS /ˈɡreɪvstoʊn/
a stone that is used to mark a grave
From this reading But the door was as uncommunicative as a gravestone.
guardingverbUS /ˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/
-ing form of “guard” — to keep watch over
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/
evoking or deserving hatred
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
keyholenounUS /ˈkiːhoʊl/
the hole where a key is inserted
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
set down according to a plan
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
fasten with a lock
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
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 At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
occupantnounUS /ˈɑːkjəpənt/
someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
Pam's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
compacted by ironing
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
restrainingverbUS /riˈstreɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “restrain” — to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
express in words
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
schoolmasternounUS /ˈskuːlmæstər/
presiding officer of a school
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
serpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
shudderverbUS /ˈʃʌdər/
shake, as from cold
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
staircasenounUS /ˈsterkeɪs/
a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
stroveverbUS /stroʊv/
inflected form of “strive” — attempt by employing effort
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
suffocateverbUS /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/
deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
in a swift manner
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
uncommunicativeadjective
not inclined to talk or give information or express opinions
From this reading But the door was as uncommunicative as a gravestone.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the door was as uncommunicative as a gravestone.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At the door, for he had something to say, he spoke her name and laid a restraining hand upon her shoulder, but she shook it off with the hateful shudder for a serpent, and passed swiftly from him up the Sunday staircase.
woodworknounUS /ˈwʊdwɜːrk/
work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture
From this reading At times, drawing long breaths to suffocate his beating heart, he listened at its keyhole, applied his eye even, pressed his hot face flat against the woodwork, and strove to elicit some filterings, however attenuated, of its occupant and her concerns.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Had he not seen the girl go in, and heard her close the lock upon her entombment, he would have been sick with apprehension and doubt; ready to believe that she had eluded him, and that he had lost her.
XXXVadjective
being five more than thirty
From this reading *CHAPTER XXXV* All throughout the rest of that evening the schoolmaster had employment in guarding Pam’s bedroom door.
