used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
anew
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
equally
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
(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 Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
for the reason that
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
ceilingsnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋz/
plural of “ceiling” — the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
the first light of day
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
one or the other of two
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
Giovanni
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
the act of departing
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
iodoformnoun
sweet smelling yellow solid haloform CHI3
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
irritatedadjectiveUS /ˈɪrəteɪtəd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
immediately past
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
napnounUS /næp/
a period of time spent sleeping
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
not any; not one
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
nostrilsnounUS /ˈnɑːstrəlz/
plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
odournounUS /ˈoʊdər/
the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
a full supply
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
sleepyadjectiveUS /ˈsliːpi/
ready to fall asleep
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading But his eyes had not been shut long before he became aware that he was in a strange place.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Giovanni opened his eyes at last, looked at the ceiling for a few moments, and then closed them again.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
unaccountablyadverbUS /ˌʌnəˈkaʊntəbli/
in an unaccountable manner
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
unconsciousnessnounUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəsnɪs/
a state lacking normal awareness of the self or environment
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
unfamiliaradjectiveUS /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər/
not known or well known
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
precisely as stated
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He could not sleep again because an unfamiliar odour of iodoform irritated his nostrils; he missed something, too, either some noise outside to which he was used or some step near him.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
a Caucasian
From this reading Plain white ceilings are very much alike, and for all he could see as he looked up he was at home in his own bed, at dawn, and there was plenty of time for another nap.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He felt unaccountably heavy, too, though not exactly sleepy, and it would be pleasant to feel himself going off into unconsciousness again for a while, knowing that there was no hurry.
