used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading "Good afternoon."
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
Chorley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
ejaculated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh!" ejaculated Doctor Hilary.
emergeverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒ/
come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
emergedverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒd/
past form of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
enclose in or as if in a frame
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Good afternoon."
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
Hilary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
a narrow way or road
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
lapsingnounUS /ˈlæpsɪŋ/
a failure to maintain a higher state
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
immediately past
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
meditationsnounUS /ˌmedɪˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “meditation” — continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
oddlyadverbUS /ˈɑːdli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh!" ejaculated Doctor Hilary.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
preoccupiedadjectiveUS /priˈɑːkjəpaɪd/
deeply absorbed in thought
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Coming opposite the drive gates of Chorley Old Hall, he was brought to a sense of his surroundings by a figure, which emerged suddenly from them and came to a dead stop.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AN INTEREST IN LIFE Doctor Hilary was walking down the lane in a somewhat preoccupied frame of mind.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had been oddly preoccupied the last day or so, lapsing into prolonged meditations from which he would emerge with a sudden and almost guilty start.
