used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
having companions or an escort
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
advancingadjectiveUS /ədˈvænsɪŋ/
moving forward
From this reading It was an advancing, not a retreating shadow, and it was very slender.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an advancing, not a retreating shadow, and it was very slender.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
of short duration or distance
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
put or send forth
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
flurrynounUS /ˈflɜːri/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
flylike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
fractionnounUS /ˈfrækʃən/
a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
insectnounUS /ˈɪnsekt/
small air-breathing arthropod
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
intrudernounUS /ˌɪnˈtruːdər/
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
massiveadjectiveUS /ˈmæsɪv/
imposing in size or bulk or solidity
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
in motion
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
and nothing more
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
go across or through
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
retreatingverbUS /riˈtriːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “retreat” — pull back or move away or backward
From this reading It was an advancing, not a retreating shadow, and it was very slender.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
silhouettedverbUS /ˌsɪləˈwetɪd/
past form of “silhouette” — project on a background, such as a screen, like a silhouette
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading It was an advancing, not a retreating shadow, and it was very slender.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the slender intruder was inside the building, silhouetted against the glow a few feet from the entrance.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It cut off a portion of the light for only a fraction of the time it had taken the insect to pass from the glow into the darkness.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading It was accompanied by footsteps, quick, uncertain and a brief flurry of movement.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was an advancing, not a retreating shadow, and it was very slender.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not a massive shadow and he knew that it could not have been cast by the flylike creature moving about in the darkness.
