Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

(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 To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

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

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

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

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

a youthful male person

From this reading And from that sign the boy took his cue.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

possessive form of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech

From this reading And from that sign the boy took his cue.

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

worth having or seeking or achieving

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

inquire into

From this reading The temptation to explore was irresistible.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And from that sign the boy took his cue.

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

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

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

impossible to resist; overpowering

From this reading The temptation to explore was irresistible.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

having no meaning or direction or purpose

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

not any; not one

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

having a point

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading And from that sign the boy took his cue.

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

the act of becoming stiff

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.

something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

From this reading The temptation to explore was irresistible.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

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

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading And from that sign the boy took his cue.

an open receptacle for holding or displaying or serving articles or food

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

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

From this reading To Keith it was all meaningless, and his mother said nothing at the time, but a slight stiffening of her face warned him that his father's remark pointed in a direction not held desirable by her.

at the time that

From this reading "When the cat's away, the rats dance on the tray," the old grandmother muttered as if to herself.

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading XIV The outside door stood open and no one was in the kitchen but Granny.