Chapter XVII

(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 She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

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

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

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

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

characterized by great determination

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

under the influence of narcotics

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

divisible by two

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

in fear

From this reading She stole in and gazed fearfully at him.

set up or found

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading She stole in and gazed fearfully at him.

a young female

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

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

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

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

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

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 was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

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

From this reading She stole in and gazed fearfully at him.

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

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

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

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

the literary culture

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

in your mind

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

showing or giving mercy

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

past form of “peep” — look furtively

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

having a tendency (to); often used in combination

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

without speaking

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

the act of snoring or producing a snoring sound

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

a wide scarf worn about their shoulders by women

From this reading She stole in and gazed fearfully at him.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

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

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

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

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading "Merciful Heaven--it can’t be that!" mentally exclaimed the unhappy girl.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.

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

From this reading He was lying almost prone on the sofa--his head thrown back--slowly, slowly snoring.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

in the company of; together with

From this reading "Why--people will surely be coming in--I shall be found--and he--like that--with the drugged brandy in the bottle--and I shall not even have got my letters out of that desk!"

inflected form of “wring” — twist and press out of shape

From this reading She silently wrung her hands; then, determined to dare or lose all, she crept slowly, cautiously back, along the hall, up the stairs, and peeped in at the half-opened door.