used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
agnosticaladjective
uncertain of all claims to knowledge
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
(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 'What's all this noise for?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
Annie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
Annie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
atticnounUS /ˈætɪk/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
a young person of either sex
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
commitverbUS /kəˈmɪt/
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
cotnounUS /kɑːt/
a sheath worn to protect a finger
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/
(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
dearly loved
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
characterized by great determination
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
duellistnoun
a person who fights duels
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
with resolute determination
From this reading 'Well?' inquired Aunt Annie firmly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading 'Well?' inquired Aunt Annie firmly.
inquisitorialadjective
especially indicating a form of prosecution in which proceedings are secret and the accused is questioned by a prosecutor who acts also as the judge
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
intelligentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒənt/
having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading 'What's all this noise for?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
scratchedverbUS /skrætʃt/
past form of “scratch” — cause friction
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
surveynounUS /sərˈveɪ/
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading 'What's all this noise for?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
male cat
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
wanlyadverb
in a weak or pale or languid manner
From this reading 'Well?' said Tom Knight, determined not to commit himself, and waiting wanly for a chance, like a duellist.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading 'Well?' inquired Aunt Annie firmly.
What's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'What's all this noise for?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had an extremely intelligent, inquisitorial, and agnostical face, and a fair, curled head of hair, which he scratched with one hand as Aunt Annie entered the room and held the candle on high in order to survey him.
a late time of life
From this reading TOM In the attic a child of seven years was sitting up in a cot placed by the side of his dear Aunt Annie's bed.
