alarmnounUS /əˈlɑːrm/
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “The Fates are kind, Kenneth,” he whispered.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
balustersnoun
a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
catchverbUS /kætʃ/
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
creptverbUS /krept/
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
CrispinnounUS /ˈkrɪspɪn/
patron saint of shoemakers; he and his brother were martyred for trying to spread Christianity (3rd century)
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
dawnnounUS /dɔːn/
the first light of day
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
descendedverbUS /dɪˈsendəd/
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
earsnounUS /ɪrz/
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
faintadjectiveUS /feɪnt/
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
FatesnounUS /feɪts/
plural of “fate” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading “The Fates are kind, Kenneth,” he whispered.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
floornounUS /flɔːr/
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
guardroomnoun
a cell in which soldiers who are prisoners are confined
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
guessedverbUS /ɡest/
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
hallnounUS /hɔːl/
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
issuingnounUS /ˈɪʃuːɪŋ/
the act of providing an item for general use or for official purposes (usually in quantity)
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
Kenneth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “The Fates are kind, Kenneth,” he whispered.
kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading “The Fates are kind, Kenneth,” he whispered.
landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
muffledadjectiveUS /ˈmʌfəld/
being or made softer or less loud or clear
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
pitnounUS /pɪt/
A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.
From this reading The faint grey of the dawn was the only light that penetrated the gloom of that pit.
reconnoitreverbUS /ˌriːkəˈnɔɪtər/
explore, often with the goal of finding something or somebody
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
slightestadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪtəst/
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/
with low volume
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
soundnounUS /saʊnd/
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
TreadingverbUS /ˈtredɪŋ/
-ing form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading They heard nothing to alarm them as they crept down, and not until they paused on the first landing to reconnoitre did they even catch the murmur of voices issuing from the guardroom below.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So muffled was the sound that Crispin guessed how matters stood even before he had looked over the balusters into the hall beneath.
whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “The Fates are kind, Kenneth,” he whispered.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Treading softly, and with ears straining for the slightest sound, the two men descended to the first floor of the house.
