used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
alabasternounUS /ˈæləbæstər/
a compact fine-textured, usually white gypsum used for carving
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
Ameernoun
an independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia)
From this reading "Ishmael Ameer?" asked the General.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Ishmael Ameer?" asked the General.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
costumenounUS /kɑːˈstuːm/
the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
accept an excuse for
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
HelenanounUS /ˈhelənə/
capital of the state of Montana; located in western Montana
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
IshmaelnounUS /ˈɪʃmil/
(Old Testament) the son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac; considered the forebear of 12 Arabian tribes
From this reading "Ishmael Ameer?" asked the General.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
MahdinounUS /ˈmɑːdi/
(Islam) a messianic leader who (according to popular Muslim belief) will appear before the end of the world and restore justice and religion
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
a particular point in time
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
Mosie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
mosquenounUS /mɑːsk/
(Islam) a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaret
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
OrientaladjectiveUS /ˌɔːriˈentəl/
denoting or characteristic of countries of the Far East
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
reddening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
move upward
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
express in words
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
term of address for a man
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
solemnlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːləmli/
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
surgingadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrdʒɪŋ/
characterized by great swelling waves or surges
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The afternoon sun was then reddening the alabaster walls of the mosque outside, and they heard a surging sound as of a crowd approaching.
a Caucasian
From this reading A moment later little black Mosie ran in to say that the new Mahdi was coming, and almost before the General and Helena could rise to their feet a tall man in white Oriental costume entered the room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He came in slowly, solemnly, and with head bent, saying— "Excuse me, sir, if I come without ceremony."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "My name is Ishmael—you are the Commander of the British forces.
