used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
anew
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
in addition
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
breadthnounUS /bredθ/
the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
closetnounUS /ˈklɑːzət/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
crackverbUS /kræk/
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
creakverbUS /kriːk/
make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
finger's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
footfallnounUS /ˈfʊtfɔːl/
the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
in a gradual manner
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
hair'snounUS /herz/
possessive form of “hair” — a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
heavieradjectiveUS /ˈheviər/
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
not accessible to view
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
the act of retaining something
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
imperceptiblyadverbUS /ˌɪmpərˈseptɪbli/
in an imperceptible manner or to an imperceptible degree
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
inchnounUS /ɪntʃ/
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
indicatedverbUS /ˈɪndəkeɪtəd/
past form of “indicate” — be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
intentnounUS /ˌɪnˈtent/
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
set down according to a plan
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
set afire or burning
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
past form of “listen” — hear with intention
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
loopverbUS /luːp/
move in loops
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
not in physical motion
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
not any; not one
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
noiselesslyadverb
without a sound
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
paneledadjectiveUS /ˈpænəld/
fitted or decorated with panels or wainscoting
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
compacted by ironing
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
quiververbUS /ˈkwɪvər/
shake with fast, tremulous movements
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
rifle-fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
rustlingnounUS /ˈrʌslɪŋ/
the stealing of cattle
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
seamnounUS /siːm/
joint consisting of a line formed by joining two pieces
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
THENDARA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
in or at that place or location
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
wainscotnounUS /ˈweɪnskət/
panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from the rest of the wall
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading THENDARA Motionless, intent, holding my breath, I listened at the paneled wall.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And now my eyes began traveling cautiously over the paneled wall, against which I had laid my ear.
wideningnounUS /ˈwaɪdənɪŋ/
an increase in width
From this reading It gave, almost imperceptibly; I pressed again, and the hidden door opened a hair's breadth, a finger's breadth, an inch, widening, widening noiselessly; and I bent forward and peered into another closet like the one I stood in, also lighted by a loop for rifle-fire.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
in the company of; together with
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading Through the wainscot I could hear the low rustling of paper; and I seemed to sense some heavier movement within, though the solid floor did not creak, nor a window quiver, nor a footfall sound.
but in spite of that
From this reading No crack or seam indicated a hidden door, yet I knew there must be one, and gently pressed the wainscot with my shoulder.
