used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
aggressiveadjectiveUS /əˈɡresɪv/
having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
a youthful male person
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
burglarnounUS /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/
A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
an occurrence of something
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
cautiousadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːʃəs/
showing careful forethought
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/
brought together in one place
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
disableverbUS /dɪˈseɪbəl/
make unable to perform a certain action
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
one or the other of two
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
start firing a weapon
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
hesitateverbUS /ˈhezəteɪt/
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
humaneadjectiveUS /hjuːˈmeɪn/
pertaining to or concerned with the humanities
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
instinctsnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkts/
plural of “instinct” — inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
in motion
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
and nothing more
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
opponentnounUS /əˈpoʊnənt/
a contestant that you are matched against
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
pulsations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
quickenedverbUS /ˈkwɪkənd/
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
reluctancenounUS /rɪˈlʌktəns/
(physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance)
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
determined
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
ruffiannoun
a cruel and brutal fellow
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
carry out
From this reading He felt the reluctance natural to any boy of humane instincts to take human life, and resolved, if possible, only to disable the ruffian.
telegraphnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/
apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading The telegraph boy of course waited for some aggressive movement on the part of his opponent.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His heart quickened its pulsations, but in manner he was cool, cautious and collected.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading For a full minute Paul and the burglar faced each other without either moving.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In that case he would not hesitate to fire.
