used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
bathnounUS /bæθ/
a vessel containing liquid in which something is immersed (as to process it or to maintain it at a constant temperature or to lubricate it)
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
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 The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
not any; not one
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
oppressiveadjectiveUS /əˈpresɪv/
weighing heavily on the senses or spirit
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/
being on the outside or further from a center
From this reading The outer air was as stifling as that within.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
simultaneouslyadverbUS /ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli/
at the same instant
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
stiflingnounUS /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading The outer air was as stifling as that within.
struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
suffocationnounUS /ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃən/
killing by depriving of oxygen
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The outer air was as stifling as that within.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They struggled for breath as if they had suddenly been plunged into a steam bath.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
plural of “thousand” — the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The air was hot, heavy, and terribly oppressive.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading The throwing open of windows brought no relief.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading The outer air was as stifling as that within.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading THE THIRD SIGN In the middle of the night, at New York, hundreds of thousands simultaneously awoke with a feeling of suffocation.
