used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A BROKEN MELODY.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
any thing at all
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading A BROKEN MELODY.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
an occurrence of something
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
choirnounUS /ˈkwaɪər/
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
without stop or interruption
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
floodedadjectiveUS /ˈflʌdəd/
covered with water
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
gramophonenoun
an antique record player; the sound of the vibrating needle is amplified acoustically
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
harmoniousadjectiveUS /hɑːrˈmoʊniəs/
musically pleasing
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
indicationnounUS /ˌɪndəˈkeɪʃən/
something that serves to indicate or suggest
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
MELODYnounUS /ˈmelədi/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading A BROKEN MELODY.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
phonographnounUS /ˈfoʊnəɡræf/
machine in which rotating records cause a stylus to vibrate and the vibrations are amplified acoustically or electronically
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
by chance
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
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 The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
solutionnounUS /səˈluːʃən/
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
a special situation
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading There they stood in the empty room, neither speaking, and gazing about them as if they expected some solution of the strange mystery to fall upon them.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
in or at the place that
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
wildestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪldɪst/
superlative of “wild” — marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading The wildest part of the whole thing was that though the music continued in the same sweet, harmonious way, there was not the slightest suggestion or indication of where it came from.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It could not possibly have been a phonograph or a gramophone or anything of that kind, as the instrument in that case would have been in sight.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet the whole room was flooded with that beautiful melody as if an invisible choir had been there making the music of the gods.
