Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

plural of “davy” — English chemist who was a pioneer in electrochemistry and who used it to isolate elements sodium and potassium and barium and boron and calcium and magnesium and chlorine (1778-1829)

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

a police officer who investigates crimes

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

brought together in one place

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a quick look

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

a terrorist organization founded in 2000; a militant Islamic group active in Kashmir and closely aligned with al-Rashid Trust; seeks to secure release of imprisoned fellow militants by kidnappings

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

and nothing more

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a member of a police force

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

filled with bewilderment

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading STRANGE TURNS.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

believed likely

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They caught a glimpse of Monckton, but that only puzzled them.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading STRANGE TURNS.

a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

look attentively

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

past form of “watch” — look attentively

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

at the time that

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

which person or people

From this reading When the detective asked Jem Davies to watch the lawn, he never suspected that the clergyman was the villain who had been concerned in that explosion.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading But Davies, a man of few ideas and full of his own wrong, took for granted, as such minds will, that the policeman would not have spoken to him if this had not been _his_ affair; so he and his fellows gathered about the steps and watched the drawing-room.

but in spite of that

From this reading And yet this catastrophe rose out of a mistake.