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Chapter I
Nobody had heard the report of a pistol. There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress. The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt. His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind. Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.”
extreme sadness or suffering
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading “His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.”
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading “The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading “There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.”
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
extreme sadness or suffering
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
not any; not one
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
no person; not anyone
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nobody had heard the report of a pistol.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no disturbance; in fact, no audible altercation, no startling cry for help, or even a groan of sudden, terrible distress.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The man lay there as motionless, nevertheless, as if felled by a thunderbolt.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Death had come upon him like a bolt from the blue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His life had been snuffed out like the flame of a candle by the fury of a whirlwind.
