used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
AgencynounUS /ˈeɪdʒənsi/
an administrative unit of government
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
(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 From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
ArmstrongnounUS /ˈɑːrmstrɑːŋ/
United States astronaut; the first man to set foot on the Moon (July 20, 1969) (1930-)
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
artistsnounUS /ˈɑːrtɪsts/
plural of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
Dorns
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
the organ of sight
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
fatefuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtfəl/
having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
generationnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
hard-eyed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
hard-jawed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
husksnounUS /hʌsks/
plural of “husk” — material consisting of seed coverings and small pieces of stem or leaves that have been separated from the seeds
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
illusionsnounUS /ˌɪˈluːʒənz/
plural of “illusion” — an erroneous mental representation
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
inscribedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈskraɪbd/
written (by handwriting, printing, engraving, or carving) on or in a surface
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
the force of workers available
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
and nothing more
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
not any; not one
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
and nothing more
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
picturedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪktʃərd/
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
pretensenounUS /priˈtens/
the act of giving a false appearance
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
princesnounUS /ˈprɪnsəz/
plural of “prince” — a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
realitiesnounUS /ˌriːˈælətiːz/
plural of “reality” — all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
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 Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/
having only essential or minimal features
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Some of them he had protected, some of them he had saved, some of them he had merely served.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
walksnounUS /wɔːks/
plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money
From this reading From the walls around looked down the pictured features of princes and artists, men of wealth or dignity, distinguished folk in all walks of life.
WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/
the fourth day of the week; the third working day
From this reading Late in the afternoon of this same fateful Wednesday, Armstrong sat across the desk from that hard-jawed, hard-eyed old man, head of the Dorns Detective Agency, and told his story.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These pictures were inscribed to the hard-eyed old man behind the desk--Robert Dorns.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
belonging to which person
From this reading For this man, whose name had been famous for a generation past, life had no illusions whatever; the husks of pretense were stripped away before that bitter eye of his, and he perceived only realities.
