used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
(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 Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
lacking funds
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
creepverbUS /kriːp/
move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
HowenounUS /haʊ/
United States editor (1920-1993)
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
a narrow way or road
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
lastedverbUS /ˈlæstəd/
past form of “last” — persist for a specified period of time
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
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 The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
not in physical motion
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
of an obscure nature
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
prairiesnounUS /ˈpreɪriz/
plural of “prairie” — a treeless grassy plain
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
reflectornounUS /rɪˈflektər/
device that reflects radiation
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
snail'snounUS /sneɪlz/
possessive form of “snail” — freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
snow-blown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
suggestverbUS /səˈdʒest/
make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The silence in that little gray home out there on the snow-blown prairies lasted for ten long moments.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
male cat
From this reading Tom Howe, crouching like a cat, remained motionless in his chair.
uneasilyadverbUS /əˈniːzəli/
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The instant a voice broke the silence in that corner, Drew Lane leaped to his feet.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
at the time that
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
which person or people
From this reading To those who waited time seemed to creep at a snail's pace.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Drew Lane, shifting uneasily in his chair, was about to suggest something--he will never know what--when, sudden as before, all thoughts were drawn to the mysterious talking reflector against the wall.
