used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
alleynounUS /ˈæli/
a narrow street with walls on both sides
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
BAFFLEDnounUS /ˈbæfəld/
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading BAFFLED!
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
placed crosswise
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
without deviation
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
expressiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspresɪv/
characterized by expression
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
a quick look
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "Where has he gone?"
growledverbUS /ɡraʊld/
past form of “growl” — to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Where has he gone?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
identitynounUS /aɪˈdentɪtiː/
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
Mayberry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
the force of workers available
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
other's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "How should I know?" growled the other.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
utterancenounUS /ˈʌtərəns/
the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where has he gone?"
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading A whistled signal or two first made them certain of each other's identity, and then the one who had crossed the bridge gave utterance to an oath, expressive of his anger, as he demanded:
which person or people
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
the words that are spoken
From this reading It so happened that the two men stopped directly at the mouth of the alley, within a few feet of Ben Mayberry, who could hear their guarded words, though he could not catch the first glimpse of their figures.
