used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
any thing at all
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
BerylnounUS /ˈberəl/
the chief source of beryllium; colored transparent varieties are valued as gems
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
Dana'snounUS /ˈdeɪnəz/
possessive form of “dana” — Celtic goddess who was the mother of the Tuatha De Danann; identified with the Welsh Don
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
past form of “gain” — obtain
From this reading But what had he gained by it?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
destroyed or killed
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
and nothing more
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
leaguenounUS /liːɡ/
an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
approval to do something
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
Identical; not different.
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But just the same he had never been able to prove that they had been in league, at that time or any other.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading By the time he got there, Beryl and her mother were already there, having just walked over from Mrs. Dana’s home, according to Beryl.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The day he thought he had seen her in the car he had first tried to get her by telephone and then had gone to the office, since it was on his way, to get permission to go home for a few minutes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If there was anything in it they were too clever to let him catch them.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what had he gained by it?
