used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
descentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
An action of moving downward, dropping, or falling into a deeper place.
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/
past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
exitnounUS /ˈeɡzɪt/
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
fissuresnounUS /ˈfɪʃərz/
plural of “fissure” — a long narrow depression in a surface
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
set up or found
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
the act of giving
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
gropingadjectiveUS /ˈɡroʊpɪŋ/
acting with uncertainty or hesitance or lack of confidence
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
hour'snounUS /ˈaʊərz/
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
inclinenounUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪn/
an elevated geological formation
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
light-admitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
not any; not one
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading After passing my rough entrance I found myself faced, as the way ran deeper into the earth, by absolute darkness.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
subterraneanadjectiveUS /ˌsʌb.təˈreɪ.ni.ən/
Existing, occurring, or done under the earth's surface.
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
believed likely
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
trap-door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Certain light-admitting fissures in the earth above enabled me to see that these steps led to a sort of trap-door formed by a stone flag, giving exit, no doubt, to the surface above.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE DARK WAY I had not been mistaken; it was a subterranean passage that I had come upon.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Had I but suspected this I might have saved myself half an hour's hard work; however, it was done now, and I turned to begin the descent of the passage.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The floor seemed to be on a considerable incline, and on groping my way a few yards in the ascending direction I found a short flight of stone steps.
