used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
closingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
curtadjectiveUS /kɜːrt/
marked by rude or peremptory shortness
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
reach, make, or come to a decision about something
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
delightedlyadverb
with delight
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
demeanournounUS /dɪˈmiːnər/
(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
earlier in time; previously
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
frostyadjectiveUS /ˈfrɔːsti/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
happeningsnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋz/
plural of “happening” — an event that happens
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Lucien was the only person in sight.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
Lucien
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lucien was the only person in sight.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
and nothing more
From this reading Lucien was the only person in sight.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
a human being
From this reading Lucien was the only person in sight.
preservedadjectiveUS /prəˈzɜːrvd/
prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
just preceding something else in time or order
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
questioningsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənɪŋz/
plural of “questioning” — a request for information
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
recitalnounUS /rəˈsaɪtəl/
the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
reconnoitred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Lucien was the only person in sight.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
stairnounUS /ster/
support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway
From this reading He entered cautiously by the back stair, and reconnoitred carefully before closing the door.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
thrashingnounUS /ˈθræʃɪŋ/
a sound defeat
From this reading His narrative was curt and his demeanour cold: it became quite frosty when William laughed delightedly over the recital of the thrashing Lucien had received.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
at the time that
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading William was at the office half an hour earlier than usual the next morning.
William'snounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/
possessive form of “williams” — United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)
From this reading He preserved a profound silence to William's first questionings as to the happenings of the previous afternoon, but when William gave him one minute in which to decide on fighting or telling the story, he told.
