used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
awakenedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪkənd/
aroused or activated
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
-ing form of “consider” — deem to be
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
dawnedverbUS /dɔːnd/
past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
put on clothes
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
earnedadjectiveUS /ɜːrnd/
gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
four-year
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
gongnounUS /ɡɔːŋ/
a percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
an established custom
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
heavy-aired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
march in a procession
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
NEIGHBOURnounUS /ˈneɪbər/
a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
pranknounUS /præŋk/
acting like a clown or buffoon
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
with speed
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
re-acquaint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
recurring again and again
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
stairwaysnounUS /ˈsterweɪz/
plural of “stairway” — a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
tumbledverbUS /ˈtʌmbəld/
past form of “tumble” — fall down, as if collapsing
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
walledverbUS /wɔːld/
past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOUR The next morning David was awakened by the ringing of a gong.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading He tumbled out of bed in order to be ready for the march to breakfast at half past six; and he had begun to dress before it dawned upon him that he was a free man, and that the ringing was a prank a four-year habit had played upon him--a prank that, by the way, was to be repeated every morning for many a week to come.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He slipped back into bed, and lay there considering what he should first do.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
wondermentnounUS /ˈwʌndərmənt/
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading So, after he had eaten, he felt his way down the dark, heavy-aired stairways, stepped through the doorway, and then paused in wonderment.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
a late time of life
From this reading He had to find work quickly, but he felt his four walled years had earned him a holiday--one day in which to re-acquaint himself with freedom.
