used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
(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 THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
attractiveadjectiveUS /əˈtræktɪv/
pleasing to the eye or mind especially through beauty or charm
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
aughtnounUS /ɔːt/
a quantity of no importance
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
baffleverbUS /ˈbæfəl/
be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
next to; at the side of
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/
plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
confrontverbUS /kənˈfrʌnt/
oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
facileadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəl/
superficially impressive, but lacking depth and attention to the true complexities of a subject
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
genialadjectiveUS /ˈdʒiːnjəl/
diffusing warmth and friendliness
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
half-amused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
half-mischievous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
maskverbUS /mæsk/
hide under a false appearance
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
Melrose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
not any; not one
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
and nothing more
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
cut with a saw
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
Sheila
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
spursnounUS /spɜːrz/
plural of “spur” — a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
having a supporting base
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
believed likely
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
swarthyadjectiveUS /ˈswɔːrði/
naturally having skin of a dark color
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
treadverbUS /tred/
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
precisely as stated
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading No one knew what lay behind that facile mask.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
whistlingnounUS /ˈwɪslɪŋ/
the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
a Caucasian
From this reading His spurs rang upon the white stones, and Sheila Melrose, standing beside her father's car in the shadow of some buildings, turned sharply and saw him.
wickednessnounUS /ˈwɪkədnəs/
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading Only the very few suspected that it hid aught beyond a genial wickedness of a curiously attractive type.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE TRUTH He went with careless tread as his fashion was, whistling the gay air to which all England was dancing that season.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading His swarthy countenance wore the half-mischievous, half-amused expression with which it was his custom to confront--and baffle--the world at large.
