used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
eagerly desirous
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
Barclay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
bestialadjectiveUS /ˈbestʃəl/
resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
a female human offspring
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
featherverbUS /ˈfeðər/
join tongue and groove, in carpentry
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
merchantnounUS /ˈmɜːr.tʃənt/
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially with foreign countries.
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
misernounUS /ˈmaɪzər/
a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably)
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
salenounUS /seɪl/
a particular instance of selling
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
term of address for a man
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading When he told the story of her sale a strained silence fell on his officers.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading But a day or two passed before he was able to talk about what had happened.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading His officers were surprised to see him back alive, and anxious to hear what had occurred.
at the time that
From this reading When Sir George Barclay returned to prison, he was a broken man.
belonging to which person
From this reading And always before him was the bestial figure of the miser feather merchant, into whose hands he imagined his daughter had fallen.
