used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
AlephnounUS /ˈɑːləf/
the 1st letter of the Hebrew alphabet
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
AlexandrianounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændriə/
a town in Louisiana on the Red River
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
ancestraladjectiveUS /ænˈsestrəl/
inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
a container that is usually woven and has handles
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
for the reason that
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
make calm or still
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
Diapleuston
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
make void or empty of contents
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
expoundverbUS /ɪkˈspaʊnd/
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
garrisonnounUS /ˈɡærɪsən/
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
usually; as a rule
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
death of a person
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
JewishadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːɪʃ/
of or relating to Jews or their culture or religion
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
and nothing more
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
onionsnounUS /ˈʌnjənz/
plural of “onion” — the bulb of an onion plant
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
a large and stately mansion
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
pretendverbUS /priˈtend/
make believe with the intent to deceive
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
Proprætor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
provokingadjectiveUS /prəˈvoʊkɪŋ/
causing or tending to cause anger or resentment
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
one of four equal parts
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
riddleverbUS /ˈrɪdəl/
pierce with many holes
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
precisely, exactly
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
ringingnounUS /ˈrɪŋɪŋ/
the sound of a bell ringing
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/
relating to or characteristic of people of Rome
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
express in words
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
Seti
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
SphinxnounUS /sfɪŋks/
an inscrutable person who keeps his thoughts and intentions secret
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
carry out
From this reading “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
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 “There, take that, you provoking Sphinx!” (and Aleph heard something strike against the wall).
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Do you pretend to say that you have not heard what took place yesterday at the Diapleuston?
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Why, the whole city is ringing with it—at least the Jewish Quarter.
the day immediately before today
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “That is just it—now you are coming to the point!” cried the other; “it is just _because_ there is a Roman garrison in Alexandria and a Roman Proprætor in the ancestral palace of Seti that our gods, calm and grave as they generally are, must have had a merry time of it yesterday.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “If you do not expound your riddle right away it will be, not two onions that your empty head will get, but a whole basket of them.”
