used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
(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 All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
Allan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
awaitingverbUS /əˈweɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
Bess
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
confidencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/
plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
FACINGnounUS /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/
a lining applied to the edge of a garment for ornamentation or strengthening
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
set up or found
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
the act of departing
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
grimyadjectiveUS /ˈɡraɪmi/
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
half-hournounUS /ˈhæfaʊər/
a half of an hour
From this reading That half-hour journey never seemed so short.
happilyadverbUS /ˈhæpəli/
in a joyous manner
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
Heywood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
homewardsadverb
toward home
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading That half-hour journey never seemed so short.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading That half-hour journey never seemed so short.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
a raised horizontal surface
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading That half-hour journey never seemed so short.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
in the near future
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
stalkingnounUS /ˈstɔːkɪŋ/
a hunt for game carried on by following it stealthily or waiting in ambush
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That half-hour journey never seemed so short.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
create by training and teaching
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
trainmannoun
an employee of a railroad
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
unwelcomeadjectiveUS /ənˈwelkəm/
not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading All too soon, as it seemed to Allan, the night man came up the steps; for the first time in his experience, Allan found the sight of him unwelcome.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
Wadsworth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Heywood was awaiting them on the grimy Wadsworth platform.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ten minutes later, the train was bearing him and Bess Heywood homewards.
in the company of; together with
From this reading FACING THE LION So the afternoon passed happily; with reading, with talking, with little confidences, interrupted, now and then, by the busy instrument on the table, or by some trainman stalking in to get his orders, and going out with a knowing smile upon his lips.
