Chapter XIX · Through the Long Night

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

completely unclothed

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point

From this reading The torch burned feebly.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

to a great extent or degree

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

the act of constructing something

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

a person who specializes in interior design

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

a document ordering the payment of money; drawn by one person or bank on another

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

an item inserted in a written record

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

divisible by two

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

in a faint and feeble manner

From this reading The torch burned feebly.

start firing a weapon

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

plural of “fitting” — making or becoming suitable; adjusting to circumstances

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

past form of “freshen” — make (to feel) fresh

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

and nothing more

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

small in range or scope

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

used to form the superlative

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

covered with or smelling of mold

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

absolutely essential

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

not any; not one

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

any property detected by the olfactory system

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

From this reading With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance

From this reading The torch burned feebly.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.

at the time that

From this reading In making the most of limited space, however, the designer had produced a crowded effect, even when the hall was bare of fittings, as it now was.

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading It was, indeed, little more than a box of an entry, with a winding stair in one corner, a plan of construction made necessary, no doubt, by the huge chimney in the middle of the house.

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 With the draft created by the fire and the open window, the air in the room the boys had just left had freshened considerably; but the hall was full of a stale and musty odor.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The hallway of the ancient structure was curiously small in contrast with the big room the boys had just left.