used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
(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 "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
babblingnounUS /ˈbæbəlɪŋ/
gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
plural of “chair” — a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
clasping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
Cleek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
cluenounUS /kluː/
a slight indication
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
Colliver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
disappearancenounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrəns/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
incoherencenounUS /ˌɪnkoʊˈhɪrəns/
lack of cohesion or clarity or organization
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seems like magic, to me.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
held up in the air
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It seems like magic, to me.
any art that invokes supernatural powers
From this reading It seems like magic, to me.
manacled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
a form of address for a man
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
placingverbUS /ˈpleɪsɪŋ/
-ing form of “place” — put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
uttered with a trill
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seems like magic, to me.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
doomed to extinction
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
tableaunounUS /təˈbloʊ/
a group of people attractively arranged (as if in a painting)
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
express in words
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
TrentnounUS /trent/
a river in central England that flows generally northeastward to join with the Ouse River and form the Humber
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
unclasping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
unpleasantadjectiveUS /ənˈplezənt/
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Trent turned his back upon the unpleasant sight and, placing three chairs at the opposite end of the room, dropped into one and lifted an eager countenance to Cleek.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
at the time that
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
which person or people
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading When in the world did you get the first clue to it, Mr. Cleek?"
wrecknounUS /rek/
something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation
From this reading Colliver, who had now sunk into a state of babbling incoherence, lay on his face in the wreck of the tableau, rolling his head from side to side and clasping and unclasping his manacled hands.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Tell me first of all," he asked, "how under heaven you came to suspect how the disappearance of the boy was managed?
