used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
artsnounUS /ɑːrts/
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
ascribedverbUS /əˈskraɪbd/
past form of “ascribe” — attribute or credit to
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But how?
conjecturenounUS /kənˈdʒektʃər/
a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
From this reading I would not pursue that conjecture.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
deludeverbUS /dɪˈluːd/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
depriveverbUS /dɪˈpraɪv/
take away possessions from someone
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
exertedverbUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrtɪd/
past form of “exert” — put to use
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
the organ of sight
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
destroyed or killed
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
Grayle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how?
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
manuscriptnounUS /ˈmæn.jə.skrɪpt/
A book, document, or piece of music written by hand rather than typed or printed.
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
mesmericadjective
attracting and holding interest as if by a spell
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
mesmerismnounUS /ˈmesmərɪzəm/
the act of inducing hypnosis
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/
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 Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
not one and not the other of two
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I would not pursue that conjecture.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
phantomnounUS /ˈfæn.təm/
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
pursueverbUS /pərˈsuː/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading I would not pursue that conjecture.
removeverbUS /riˈmuːv/
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
try to get or reach
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
sorcerynounUS /ˈsɔːrsəri/
the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
plural of “tale” — 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 A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Was I to seek explanation in the arts of sorcery ascribed to Louis Grayle in the narrative?
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
having passed out of existence
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The dead man's manuscript was gone.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading A phantom might delude my eye, a human will, though exerted at a distance, might, if the tales of mesmerism be true, deprive me of movement and of consciousness; but neither phantom nor mesmeric will could surely remove from the table before me the material substance of the book that had vanished!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I would not pursue that conjecture.
