used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
troubled emotionally and usually deeply
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
plural of “article” — nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
a distinct feature or element in a problem
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
atticnounUS /ˈætɪk/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
boxesnounUS /ˈbɑːksəz/
plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
chestsnounUS /tʃests/
plural of “chest” — the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
rid of obstructions
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
dearly loved
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
wanted intensely
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/
covered with a layer of dust
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
freakishadjective
changeable
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
gustyadjectiveUS /ˈɡʌsti/
blowing in puffs or short intermittent blasts
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
kneelingnounUS /ˈniːlɪŋ/
supporting yourself on your knees
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
lawnnounUS /lɔːn/
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
held up in the air
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
loyaladjectiveUS /ˈlɔɪəl/
steadfast in allegiance or duty
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
on one occasion
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
posturenounUS /ˈpɑːstʃər/
the arrangement of the body and its limbs
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
rummagingverbUS /ˈrʌmɪdʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “rummage” — search haphazardly
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
sorrowfullyadverb
in a sorrowful manner
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
tenantnounUS /ˈtenənt/
someone who pays rent to use land or a building or a car that is owned by someone else
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/
(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading When he began to find the various articles he desired, he grew tremulous, agitated.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
at the time that
From this reading It was a clear, gusty night when he emerged on the lawn at the side entrance of the house.
wistfullyadverbUS /ˈwɪstfəli/
in a wistful manner
From this reading Sometimes he dropped his hands, lifted himself from his crouching attitude to a kneeling posture, looked wistfully about the dreary, dusty silence, shook his head sorrowfully to and fro, and then once more addressed himself to his search.
in the company of; together with
From this reading For two hours with the faint and freakish light of candle ends he had been rummaging over old chests and boxes in the attic.
wrungverbUS /rʌŋ/
inflected form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The aspect of the desolate, deserted place that had held his young master, a tenant dear to his loyal heart, wrung from him a sigh.
