used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
matters of personal concern
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
(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 Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
AtlasnounUS /ˈætləs/
(Greek mythology) a Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
blazenounUS /bleɪz/
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
the lower side of anything
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
buttonnounUS /ˈbʌtən/
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
companiesnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniːz/
plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
a state at a particular time
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
employverbUS /emˈplɔɪ/
put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
expertsnounUS /ˈekspərts/
plural of “expert” — a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
humverbUS /hʌm/
sing with closed lips
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
incandescentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnkənˈdesənt/
emitting light as a result of being heated
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
janitornounUS /ˈdʒænətər/
someone employed to clean and maintain a building
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
joyfullyadverbUS /ˈdʒɔɪfəli/
in a joyous and gleeful manner
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
lairnounUS /ler/
the habitation of wild animals
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
lastedverbUS /ˈlæstəd/
past form of “last” — persist for a specified period of time
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
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 THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
the force of workers available
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
in motion
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
on one occasion
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
receivernounUS /rəˈsiːvər/
set that receives radio or tv signals
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
rungnounUS /rʌŋ/
a crosspiece between the legs of a chair
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
express in words
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
a person, without saying who
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
steppingverbUS /ˈstepɪŋ/
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
having come into contact
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Somebody touched a bell button, and the head janitor, running joyfully, two steps at a time, from his lair, cried out that his bell had rung.
unhooked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One of the men, stepping to the nearest telephone, unhooked the receiver.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
wirenounUS /ˈwaɪər/
ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading To his ear came the low busy hum of a live wire.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Then, without reason, and all at once, the whole building from top to bottom was a blaze of incandescent light.
WRITESverbUS /raɪts/
third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading THE MOVING FINGER WRITES The condition of affairs in the Atlas Building lasted long enough to carry the matter up to the experts in the employ of the companies; that is to say, until about three o'clock the following morning.
