used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
a quantity of money
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
assemblynounUS /əˈsembli/
a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
Duchess's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
divisible by two
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
expertadjectiveUS /ˈekspərt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
grinnounUS /ɡrɪn/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
Hugh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
Irma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
looselyadverbUS /ˈluːsli/
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
on one occasion
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
outskirtsnounUS /ˈaʊtskɜːrts/
outlying areas (as of a city or town)
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
pearlsnounUS /pɜːrlz/
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
removingverbUS /riˈmuːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “remove” — remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
rubverbUS /rʌb/
move over something with pressure
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
cut with a saw
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
having a supporting base
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
stealverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The problem of removing the pearls from the Duchess’s neck before such an assembly seemed to present a certain amount of difficulty even to such an expert as Henry.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He crept near enough, in fact, to steal a look at Irma, and in doing so saw something which made him rub his eyes and then grin once more.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading And Hugh crept a little nearer the window, so as to miss nothing.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading It struck him that the next ten minutes or so might be well worth while.
wrapverbUS /ræp/
arrange or fold as a cover or protection
From this reading She was standing on the outskirts of the group, an evening wrap thrown loosely over her arm.
