used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
anew
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/
the overhead upper surface of a covered space
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
circlesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəlz/
plural of “circle” — ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
dazzledadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəld/
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
dismissedadjectiveUS /dɪˈsmɪst/
having lost your job
From this reading Miss Letitia's troubles I dismissed shortly.
dizzyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪzi/
having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
egressnounUS /ɪˈɡres/
(astronomy) the reappearance of a celestial body after an eclipse
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
make full, also in a metaphorical sense
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
headlongadverbUS /ˈhedlɔːŋ/
with the head foremost
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
impotentlyadverb
in a helpless manner
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
kickingnounUS /ˈkɪkɪŋ/
a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
immediately past
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
Letitia's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Letitia's troubles I dismissed shortly.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
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 A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Letitia's troubles I dismissed shortly.
mothnounUS /mɔːθ/
typically crepuscular or nocturnal insect having a stout body and feathery or hairlike antennae
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
not any; not one
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
for a short time
From this reading Miss Letitia's troubles I dismissed shortly.
singedverbUS /sɪndʒd/
past form of “singe” — burn superficially or lightly
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
THIEFnounUS /θiːf/
a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
thumpsnounUS /θʌmps/
plural of “thump” — a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
very small
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
plural of “trouble” — a source of difficulty
From this reading Miss Letitia's troubles I dismissed shortly.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
in or at the place that
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
whirlingnounUS /ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
whirringnounUS /ˈwɜːrɪŋ/
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading A THIEF IN THE NIGHT The windows being wide open, it was not long before a great moth came whirring in.
wingedadjectiveUS /wɪŋd/
having wings or as if having wings of a specified kind
From this reading The room began to fill with tiny winged creatures that flung themselves headlong to destruction, so I put out the light and sat down near the window, with my cigar and my thoughts.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He hurled himself at the light and then, dazzled and singed, began to beat with noisy thumps against the barrier of the ceiling.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Finding no egress there, he was back at the lamp again, whirling in dizzy circles until at last, worn out, he dropped to the table, where he lay on his back, kicking impotently.
