used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was a world of possibilities in that knock.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
intentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtentli/
with strained or eager attention
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
monotonousadjectiveUS /məˈnɑːtənəs/
tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a world of possibilities in that knock.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
panesnounUS /peɪnz/
plural of “pane” — sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
possibilitiesnounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiz/
plural of “possibility” — a future prospect or potential
From this reading There was a world of possibilities in that knock.
PreachernounUS /ˈpriːtʃər/
someone whose occupation is preaching the gospel
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
Identical; not different.
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
Sampson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
Steward's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
tattoonounUS /ˌtæˈtuː/
a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There came a knock at Preacher Sampson Steward’s cabin door that same night about midnight.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had been stretched on the bed at full length for an hour listening intently to sounds outside.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Instantly his mind was on the alert.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The thunder and lightning had ceased, and the rain and the wind beat a monotonous tattoo against the window panes.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading There was a world of possibilities in that knock.
